LEGISLATORS SPOTLIGHT CIVILITY

Republican State Representative Vance Smith and Democratic State Representative Debbie Buckner came together to discuss the importance of civility and bipartisanship in modern politics during a Constitution Day event hosted by the Political Science program in September.

The Georgia legislators, who share contiguous districts, emphasized how reaching across party lines leads to better legislation. "You've got to build relationships with people," said Rep. Smith, praising his Democratic colleague's calm approach to governance. "We use each other to bounce suggestions off each other so we can get the right answer that affects everyone in Georgia."

Rep. Buckner stressed the importance of respectful dialogue, drawing parallels to the Constitution's creation. "When a group of delegates wrote the Constitution, they had heated conversations, but they came out with a document that has been around for a long time," she said. "The essence of the Constitution that we celebrate on this day is civility, that people of different thoughts can come together through a process and make something really great."

The event commemorated Constitution Week, established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956, and held annually from September 17-23.